A call for local government elections to be held before the end of December 2015, is one of a list of 26 demands that the People’s Progressive Party will be lobbying for as it is of the view that the country is on the cusp of a national crisis.
At the party’s weekly press briefing yesterday, General Secretary Clement Rohee read out the list of demands that vary from the tangible, such as the reinstatement of the electricity and water subsidies for pensioners and revocation of the “astronomical salary increases and benefits to government officials and Members of Parliament and provide satisfactory wage and salary increases to public servants,” to the ideological “Respect and uphold parliamentary democracy.”
Rohee was heavily criticized by members of the media for the 26 points which included many that were in fact instituted under the PPP administration. The party is now calling for the reduction in fares for travel on government ferries throughout the country, which were introduced under the former administration.
Additionally, the party states that the government needs to remove “party political hacks from government agencies and departments, RDCs and State Boards,” while ignoring that this issue had been a longstanding criticism of the PPP administration.
Rohee along with party member Zulficar Mustapha stated that many of the former regional executive officers in the PPP administration were qualified with Masters’ degrees, but neither named any of these officers. The party also is calling for an end to discrimination and favouritism in awarding government contracts, another issue that had plagued the PPP’s administration.
When Rohee was questioned as to how the list was devised, he stated that the party was well within its rights, now that it is in opposition to call for certain measures to be taken by the government to address the needs of the public.
Rohee stated that the party first needed to get the list out to the public and then it would begin to apply pressure to the government to ensure that the demands are met. When asked by the Stabroek News how the party planned on making headway with its list given that a number of the items would require the involvement of Parliament, Rohee simply stated “public pressure.” He did not elaborate on how the party planned to disseminate to the public, stating instead that 1992 reforms came about after intense internal and foreign pressure.
Rohee said the public will not agree with all of the demands, but there is something in the list for everyone. The demands include a push for greater access to the Caribbean Rice Markets as well as the restoration of the PetroCaribe Agreement with Venezuela.
The party is seeking the resuscitation of the $30,000 per month Amerindian CSO programme along with the “Because We Care” $10,000 per Child programme and it also contains a demand that the plans and programmes of the PPP/C administration to address rising crime and security sector reform be restored.
The PPP’s demands denote that there needs to be an end to the Berbice Bridge controversy, but gives no indication of the party’s leanings on that issue.
Rohee stated that the demands emanate from the party’s reflections coming out of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty which was observed on Saturday.
He said that with the “economy grinding slowly to a halt, the Granger-led coalition administration appears oblivious to the social and economic repercussions in the daily lives of the Guyanese working people including their own supporters who are feeling the pinch and seeing the much vaunted ‘good life’ evaporate before their very eyes.
“We need a broad-based social and political movement for economic and social justice to reclaim and re-direct the socio-economic goals and aspirations of our country and people,” he stated.
The PPP’s 26
demands are:
- Put an end to political and racial discrimination.
- Put an end to racial victimization.
- Put an end to arbitrary dismissals of public servants and young professionals.
- Resuscitate the $30,000 per month Amerindian CSO programme.
- Remove party political hacks from government agencies and departments, RDCs and state boards.
- Reinstate the “Be-cause We Care $10,000 per Child” programme.
- Reinstate electricity and water subsidies for pensioners.
End the controversy over Berbice River Bridge.
Revoke the astronomical salary increases and benefits to government officials and members of parliament and provide satisfactory wage and salary increases to public servants.
Bring immediate relief to rice farmers, in particular, and the farming community in general by providing subsidized fuel, spare parts, etc.
Restore the Petro-Caribe Agreement with Venezuela.
Push for greater access to Caribbean rice markets.
Reduce royalties for medium and small scale miners.
Reduce passenger fares for travel on government ferries throughout the country.
Address the steep fall in income and employment in towns and municipalities throughout the country.
Restore the plans and programmes of the PPP/C administration to address rising crime and security sector reform.
Address immediately the rapid decline of production, in the forestry, fishing, farming and quarry sectors.
Take immediate steps to revive the national economy and restore its vibrancy and robustness to the pre-May 2015 levels.
Take steps to revitalize the construction sector.
Take steps to ensure that the livelihood of the Amerindians and Hinterland communities are not further impaired.
End discrimination and favouritism in awarding government contracts.
Respect and uphold parliamentary democracy.
Begin consultations with all stakeholders with a view to carrying out reforms of the electoral system, laws and at Gecom.
Hold free and fair Local Government Elections before the end of 2015.
Resume development of the critical Amaila Falls Hydropower project.
Continue investments and all-round support to the sugar industry and provide livable wages for sugar workers.
